Homebrewers of ENWorld (A Thread About Beer, Wine, and Mead)

[CleverNickName]

How many of us brew our own beer and cider? Any amateur vintners or mazers in our midst?

It's been a hobby of mine for a couple of decades now, and I'm always looking for new recipes and likeminded folks who enjoy crafting their own libations. Mead is my favorite, both to make and to drink, and my wife is a fan of cider--so I try to have one or the other on tap at all times. I mostly brew beer these days, though, because the ingredients are so much cheaper.

 

[Morrus]

Sounds like a lot of effort when the supermarket sells it for less than water!

 

[CleverNickName]

The guys that I regularly play D&D with are also my beer-brewing buddies. Our current project is a maibock; it doesn't have a name at the moment. Tradition holds that we name our beers after the monsters, NPCs, and story elements of whatever campaign we are running at the time of the brew.

So this one will probably be called Duke Zalto's Ruin.

Spoiler: All Grain Maibock Recipe

Batch size: 21.5 gal
OG: 1.066
FG: 1.015
ABV: 6.69%
IBU: 23.49
SRM: 6.49

Mash:
27.0 lbs. German Pilsner
19.5 lbs. German Munich
1.25 lbs. German CaraHell
1.25 lbs. American Carapils

Hops:
1.5 oz. Magnum @ 60 min.
2.0 oz. Hallertau @ 30 min.
2.0 oz. Hallertau @ 10 min.

Yeast:
Wyeast 2206, Bavarian Lager

It's been fermenting for about 3 weeks, but it's slowed way down this week and we are still at 1.036. I hope the fermentation isn't stuck.

 

[CleverNickName]

Update on Zalto's Ruin:

Currently at 1.028, so we are just past the halfway point with the fermentation. I know that lagers are supposed to take a while, but geez. Hurry up, delicious maibock!

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Umbran]

Sounds like a lot of effort when the supermarket sells it for less than water!

I do not brew, but my friends who do would respond to that with, "Yeah, it sells for less than water, because it tastes like less than water."

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I do not brew or distill or make any beverages “from scratch” beyond teas, juices or lemon/other fruit-ades.

My great uncle Marcus, OTOH, made “cherry bounce“ in his closet. Gave some to me and my date on the way out of the house one night. She took a sip, then when Marcus wasn’t looking, dumped the rest in my glass. Good thing, too- I’m not sure who would have been more interested in his concoction, NASA or Timothy Leary.

Q: “What the HELL did I just drink?”

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Amateur vintner and mead-maker here. Just bottled a dry mead that has some nice oak and apple notes. Really excited to see how my current batch, a lavender-spiced mead, turns out in four more months. And I've got a Cabernet that's still got some aging to do.

 

[CleverNickName]

Zalto's Ruin (our maibock) has nearly finished fermenting, and has been moved to the fridge for the diacetyl rest. Another 2-3 months and it'll be ready to drink.

This, friends, is why I hate brewing lagers. At least ales are ready to drink in about a third the time.

 

[Orius]

I thought you were talking about campaign worlds, but this is a weird place to post such a topic.